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"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32
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Author:  Gerald V. Todd
Bio: Gerald V. Todd
Date:  March 3, 2012
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Topic category:  Education

Georgetown Law and Public Policy Advocacy Scholarships
(A Catholic Law School Fails to Walk on Water)

I don’t pretend to know a thing about Georgetown Law, its curriculum, the quality of its instruction or the way it vets potential students. Since members of the Theology Department walked out on Francis Cardinal Arinze when he advocated Catholic principles at a 2004 commencement address, I knew the school was having trouble in its soul. A few years later it rejoiced over a commencement address by the Marxist Rev. Jim Wallis, now an Obama Administration “spiritual adviser.” No one seemed to care until the media circus with 3rd year law student Sandra Fluke opened a Congressional front in the Obama Administration’s war on the Church. The war in Academia has been going on for years.

Sandra’s extraordinary sexual needs at taxpayer expense, makes her a more eloquent icon for lost souls only matched by Monica Lewinsky’s escapades with another President. At least Sandra is “loving pure and chaste from afar” in her relationship with the current President, who like her parents, says he is "very proud" of her righteous demands.

It is easy to see why she won a “Public Policy Advocacy” scholarship, however ill-endowed to meet her prurient needs. She’ll either become a miserable, highly paid counsel for some sad lefty feminist outfit, or be thrown under the bus as is common practice when her shining light dims in the eyes of those “Millstone Award” nominees who first enticed her.

This brings me to the point of this article. It is not about Sandra Fluke. It is about Catholic higher education in general and Georgetown Public Policy Law in particular. The point is very simple, and is based on an Encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI, “Caritas in Veritate.”http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html#top One would think this encyclical for an emerging global environment would be the core of any public policy law curriculum at a Catholic institution. Shucks, its even loaded with links, footnotes and cross references.

Central to this encyclical is “58. The principle of subsidiarity must remain closely linked to the principle of solidarity and vice versa, since the former without the latter gives way to social privatism, while the latter without the former gives way to paternalist social assistance that is demeaning to those in need.” His Holiness addresses solidarity in dozens of points in the encyclical, but without subsidiarity accompanying, the reader runs the risk of isolation of these principles resulting in failed public policy. I know for a fact that Congressman Paul Ryan and Timothy Cardinal Dolan understand these principles intimately.

I’m sure public policy law covers thousands of pages of eloquent dissertations and theories. In the end, none of it means a thing without subsidiarity and solidarity combined when activating legislation and its operational bureaucracy.

Subsidiarity - The foundation of subsidiarity is personal responsibility burned into the mind and heart of the individual. It is the opposite of “entitlement” that stands as an obstacle to those up the hierarchy (every network needs a hierarchy) who strive to “help by dominating” rather than to “serve and exhort” a person to pursue his or her visions and meet life challenges. Help when needed must come from the bottom up – the family, community, state and finally the central government – each level for a progressively shorter period of time. This is a serious difficulty for the politically correct and misguided social justice schemes where the aim is long term “top down” control to meet career needs of bureaucrats.

Solidarity - A nation of free men and women working together are seen as having solidarity. E pluribus unum. A mob of demonstrators chanting Marxist or theocratic slogans and fouling the peaceful environment can also be seen as having solidarity. Free people have a choice. Subjugated people cry out, demanding social (not equal) justice usually at the goading of anarchists. We must discern the difference between the infinite diversity of individual gifts and talents and the limited diversity of racial, ethnic and economic division.

There is a third companion of subsidiarity and solidarity - Chaos - Chaos is not disorder unless it is formed to prod useful idiots into rioting in the streets, usually burning and pillaging the visions and labor of others. Human discourse, like the beautiful freely formed fractals of chaos as in nature, makes a free society work by creating infinite beauty, unexpected opportunities for new relationships, ventures, technological advancement and true diversity based on uniting our individual endowments from God.

My hope and prayer for Sandra and Georgetown is for both to rediscover their Catholic roots and conscience. They should hunger to learn from the wisdom available to those who ask God for it. Public Policy Advocacy is an important field. It must be performed within simple guidelines and with the goal of allowing each person to pursue happiness and enjoy the rewards of an honest endeavor that enriches the solidarity of the community and the nation.

It might come as a surprise to the sophisticated academician, the concepts outlined above work magnificently when the Declaration of Independence is recognized as the moral, philosophical and spiritual basis on which the Constitution rests. It has worked better in the USA than anywhere else in human history. Why destroy it?

PS: Rush Limbaugh is being vilified for his humorous yet wise critique of the President's war on the Church via a young woman. He might have been just exercising a few of the Spiritual Works of Mercy:

    •To instruct the ignorant •To counsel the doubtful •To admonish sinners •To bear wrongs patiently •To forgive offenses willingly •To comfort the afflicted •To pray for the living and the dead

Political correctness can't hold a candle to these!

Gerald V. Todd

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Notes: 

Suggested reading:

Overview on spiritual warfare – “Guide 25 – 25 Constitutional Values for Politicians and the People Who Vote for Them” ©2010 Gerald V. Todd http://www.lulu.com

The changed history of the Democratic Party – “Crooks, Thugs and Bigots” ©2011 Kevin Collins http://www.crooksthugsandbigots.com

Scientifically debunking greenhouse gas theory - “Slaying the Sky Dragon” ©Sky Dragon Slayers 2010 http://www.slayingtheskydragon.com

All three are available in print or eBook downloads.


Biography - Gerald V. Todd

Jerry is a retired engineer with strong experience in environmental innovation which he still applies today with 2 clean water and energy saving technologies. His life avocation in writing and study of philosophical and biblical themes as they apply to the body politic's spiritual warfare. He survived stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006; now in excellent health. A graduate of the University of Illinois (1958, Industrial Engineering), Jerry had post graduate studies at both the University of San Francisco and the University of Santa Clara in California between 1961 and 1963 (Logic, Marketing). As co Founder and seminar presenter he was awarded a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Valley Christian University operating under California private-post secondary statutes for mid career student, VCU was the pioneer external degree school for mid career students. Its course structures were picked up by several well known Christian colleges. Hosted local broadcast radio and TV shows, "Religion on the Line" and "The News Firm" (jointly with wife, Joanne), respectively. Jerry has published several books that are available at Amazon. Jerry is available to speak as a visiting lecturer at the high school, college or community organization level. Jerry is married 55 years to Joanne Dean Todd – 3 children, 8 grandchildren.


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Copyright © 2012 by Gerald V. Todd
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